The Velvet Lair of Suz deMello

Saturday, May 12, 2018

Last month, I blogged in general about yoga, a five thousand year old approach to life that originated in India and has steadily gained adherents since. The broader view now narrows to yoga practices specifically targeted to office workers as well as those who simply spend a lot of time in front of a computer, including my fellow writers.

First word of advice: get up once in a while, preferably at least hourly. Bust out a few poses to heighten your physical and mental health.

Inversions will push more blood to the brain and improve its functioning. Of course you could do a headstand or a shoulder stand, but that might draw unwanted attention to your corner of CubicleVille. So I suggest you try a simple wide-legged straddle stretch, known in YogaLand as Prasarita Padottanasana (we yogis love to bring out the Sanskrit--makes us feel as though we're in possession of some arcane knowledge).

Here's what it looks like:

A side view:

This pic is okay, but don't put your hands on your knees! Floor, shins or thighs for support.

If you need a little more support, try this with a chair or desk:

The point is: get your head below the level of your heart, which promotes blood flow to the brain.

To perform the posture, always remember that every yoga pose is built from the ground up. Make sure that your shoes will keep you steady--don't wear high heels or slippery-soled shoes. Take them off if you are, and make sure that your stockings or socks or whatever won't slip. Ideally, you're barefooted.

Feet should be planted firmly on the ground about three feet apart, or more. Whatever is comfortable for your body that day.

Breathe deeply and evenly. First spread your arms out into a T, then, on an exhale, bend from the hips, not the waist, keeping your spine straight. If you need support, you can place your hands on the floor, on your thighs or shins. Not the knee--joints are sensitive.

If you want to twist (highly recommended!) place one hand on the floor in front of your face, then, on an exhale, raise the other into the air. Twist in its direction for five complete breath cycles. Focus on how these breaths feel compared to the untwisted variation. Then do the other side.

I probably say this at least ten times in every class I teach. The breath is so, so important! Not just in yoga, but in life. We can survive a week or two without food. A few days at least without water. But without breath? Not very long at all.

Breathing deeply will help you in every area of your life. Take a deep, slow breath with a slow release before and after any task. Shove oxygenated blood though your body and feel the energy, the prana, flow and strengthen you.

We spend so much time hunched over at our desks, curving our chests, constricting the breath and squeezing our hearts, when we are so much happier with our hearts open--literally as well as figuratively.

So, employing the same posture, try clasping your hands behind your low back and lifting them, which will open your chest. Breathe deeply--again, at least five to ten complete breath cycles.

Chair exercises

If you are so unfortunate as to have such a small cube that you can't even do prasarita, much of the above can be done in a chair.

Dharana: Mental focus

Dharana is one of the eight petals, or limbs of yoga. (As I discussed in the previous blog, these are techniques which we employ on our yoga journey--that's the path we tread to attain integration and happiness). Certainly mental focus will help us on our journey, as well as in our everyday lives.

So how can we easily practice dharana? The inversion and its variations will help sharpen the mind, but there are other techniques, including something so simple that few think of it.

Try something new.

Research has shown many times that learning a new language improves mental functioning, but that's not because there's any intrinsic virtue in learning Mandarin, Swahili, or French. Any new undertaking grows our neural net, creating new nerve paths and synapses in our brains.

There are hundreds of yoga poses, and a smart yogi will vary her practice, learning new asanas (postures) and breathing exercises (pranayama).

However, many other options exist. Something as simple as skipping instead of walking, taking a different route to work, traveling to another country, or learning a new computer game will increase your brain power.

Quit multitasking. Instead focus on one thing--the moment.

This is a tough one. Our modern, complex society demands much of us, and those demands create what many of us all the "monkey mind," the headspace that is scattered, unfocused, and constantly shifting instead of concentrating.

Be in the moment, focusing on what's happening instead of what could be happening. If you're working, focus on work, not on where you're going to eat lunch or any task that might be facing you. When you're with a friend, a family member or anyone else, be fully present for that person. Don't check your phone... Whatever else night be going, in most instances, it will keep. (Besides, checking your phone when you're with someone is really rude).

Be present and focused on the moment. As the old Latin proverb says: Age Quod Agis--do what you're doing.

Good luck!

As always: ask your doctor if it's okay for you to perform easy exercises.

Thursday, April 12, 2018

A five-thousand year-old practice, yoga has steadily been gaining practitioners in the West since the Beatles made a now-forgotten but then much-publicized trip to India in 1968. That visit, which was to study with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, kindled interest in transcendental meditation as well as all things Eastern, including yoga.

But what is yoga? Most people think that body-bending postures, called asana, are the be-all and end-all of yoga. They look at pics of people standing on their heads in the lotus position, and figure, I'll never be able to do that, and why would I want to? and don't look further into the practice.

But as stated, yoga has been around for five thousand years, and anything that's been around so long probably has value. So why has yoga lingered? Simple answer: yoga works.

That begs the question: works at what? Why do people do yoga? What do they get out of it? What is the purpose of yoga?

Quite simply: People do yoga because it makes them happy. The result of the practice is a calm mind integrated with a healthy body...a great prescription for happiness. The word yoga means union, which refers to union of the disparate parts of ourselves--mind, body and spirit. It also refers to union with the universal all.

Yoga sees each of us as an energetic being in a universe likewise composed of energy. This view is in keeping with modern physics, which posits that everything is energy, but that which we perceive as solid and liquid isn't moving fast enough to appear as energy. Einstein told us in E=mc(squared) that anything with mass becomes energy when accelerated to the speed of light.

Thus, everything is energy. The only difference is due to a temporary condition, i.e., speed.

The sage Patanjali, who wrote the yoga sutras two thousand or so years ago, stated in the first sutra: "The purpose of yoga is to calm the disturbances of the mind."

We calm ourselves and integrate the disparate parts of ourselves--mind, body and spirit--by utilizing techniques embodied in the Eight Limbs, or Petals, of Yoga. These are not to be confused with the Eight-fold Path of Buddhism, which is also useful; these two great streams of thought complement each other and are not in conflict.

Asana, the postures, are one of the Eight Limbs. The others can be seen in the

drawing to the right, which I created for a workshop I recently gave to a writer's group on using yoga to improve creativity.

Two of the petals are prescriptions for living: the yamas and the niyamas. These embody the usual ethical precepts that most of the world's great religions and plilosophies espouse. If a person lives ethically, s/he lacks disturbances of the mind. Our consciences don't bother us if we live rightly.

Asana and pranayama embody the physical practice. Asana are the postures, and pranayama refers to breathing to push energy through our bodies.

The four petals high on the flower are the more difficult and subtle parts of yoga. Pratyahara--going inward, which enables dharana, mental focus, and diyana, meditation.

And all of the above lead us to samadhi, oneness, a state of OM which unites us with ourselves and all else.

Remember: yoga sees everything as energy. Samadhi refers to that oneness with all.

Practicing all eight limbs of yoga with consistency, focus and determination will engender samadhi.

I am a believer in the lifelong practice of yoga, so much so that I have spent thousands of dollars and a considerable amount of time not only to practice consistently, but to complete yoga teacher training. I look forward to spreading the word about this wonderful practice in any way I can. Others I know who are more casual practitioners report weight loss and a generalized feeling of serenity and happiness. Many report that stretching has resulted in another inch of two of height. One man I know swears that his improvement in vision is due to yoga.

Please contact me if you want to know more. Can't hurt to try, right?

And by the way--you don't need to stand on your head in the lotus or any other position. We do plenty of sitting and lying around, just...being.

Next month I'll blog about yoga to enhance creativity and mental function,

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

One of the most common and disliked questions readers as writers is "Where do you get your ideas?" Quite honestly, we don't always know. Sometimes it's obvious--the germ of a story I wrote for Harlequin/Silhouette under a different pen name, His Baby, Her Heart, came from a magazine article about in vitro fertilization I read in a medical office waiting room.

But most of the time, the line from idea to story is not so clear.

I wrote Queen of Shadow when I was living in Thailand. I was attempting to recover from a particularly traumatic time in my life. My father had died in 2002 after a two-year-long bout with cancer. My best friend and her husband killed themselves in 2005 in an incomprehensible double suicide. My eldest brother had died in 2006 after a year-long fight with, again, cancer. I now understand that I had experienced a nervous breakdown without knowing it, desperately flailing about to keep my life together as everything fell apart. But under the stress, my marriage had failed, also.

Some believe that "wherever you go, there you are," meaning that running away doesn't solve problems. But for me, it does. Physical distance often results in emotional distance, and leaving helps me gain objectivity, perspective and detachment.

After spending a couple of months in Europe, I traveled to Thailand and made a nice life for myself in Chiang Mai. As I settled into the structured serenity I

created, I found myself able to write again after a prolonged absence--all the trauma had created a writer's block about the size of Gibraltar.

I had seen a science fiction movie about ten years before that had posited a planet strictly divided into bands of light and darkness. It wasn't very good, but the concept had stuck with me, and I decided to write my own take on what such a planet would be like.

Thus was born Queen of Shadow, a full-length, 55K+ word novel. Here's the blurb:

Looking for the next GoT? Here you are.

My little studio apartment in Chiang Mai, where I wrote Queen of Shadow

A brave queen struggles to control divided kingdoms on a terraformed planet thirty thousand years in the future.

Janus is a planet which lacks both tilt and spin, and its Shadowlands are the pewter band of dusk dividing the violently hot Lightside of the planet from its Darkside, imprisoned by eternal night. Because of the peculiar conformation of the planet, birthrates are low and indiscriminate mating encouraged.

Audryn, Queen of Shadow has reached that time in her life when she must choose a king to rule with her or fail to bear an heir, casting not only her realm but all of Janus into chaos. Despite her duty, she is reluctant to share power, even a bit distrustful. Janus’ nobles vie for Audryn’s hand. Although she enjoys trysting with all her suitors, none seize her heart.

Then Storne, the warrior Prince of Darkness, arrives to claim her as his bride. Will his masterful ways allure or repel the willful Queen?

And a sexy little snippet (NSFW) to brighten your day:

Although I believed I could trust Storne, I couldn’t stop the nervous flutters in my belly. I occasionally allowed myself to be dominated by Rall and Parron as a change from the norm, and because their loyalty was absolute. Each would give his life for me.

But Storne wanted the throne, wanted his blood and bone to rule even after our deaths, or so I surmised. He did not hesitate to kill in order to win; what stopped him from taking me against my will?

And my will was strong. After learning that someone that we had trusted had plotted to kill my family—and had succeeded—had seemingly strengthened my unwillingness to hastily make the choice that must be made.

My worries must have showed, for he asked, “What’s wrong, Audryn?”

He slid his fingers out of my pussy and laid his hand on my belly. His gray eyes were steady, his gaze fixed on my face.

I breathed deeply. “I want you, but—"

“I won’t take advantage of the situation.”

I sighed. “I hope you are not insulted.”

His brows raised. “Your decision is momentous and final. I can afford to wait.” His voice oozed confidence.

“You are sure you are the best candidate.”

“Yes.” He leaned closer and purred against my ear, “I’m bigger, stronger, tougher and I don’t look like your great-grandpa."

I giggled.

He chuckled, a deep, sexy growl of a sound and bit my lobe. His fingers again busied themselves inside my pussy.

Friday, February 2, 2018

Drug addicts Harvey, Lord Darlingside, and his supermodel wife, Mara, died by drowning in the Trevi Fountain while on a heroin binge. In a previous rare moment of sobriety, Harvey created a trust for their three children with a peculiar stipulation designed to ensure none would go his way: each must demonstrate maturity by making a substantial non-monetary contribution to others.

A Fortune To Win is the story of the Darlingside heirs' journey to love and their legacies.

Will Alice break through her emotional shell to find love?

Can supermodel Sophie survive repeated attacks from someone who seems bent upon her death?

Alcoholic Peter is accused of murder...can he get his head out of the bottle long enough to beat the charge and maintain his freedom?

PLUS A SPECIAL HISTORICAL PREQUEL!

Here's a snippet to pique your interest...from Peter's Story:

Prologue

LORD DARLINGSIDE AND WIFE MARA FOUND DEAD

DRUG OVERDOSE SUSPECTED

[ROME] The jetsetting couple known as
‘Marvey,’ Harvey Fortune, Lord Darlingside and his supermodel
wife Mara Tove, were found at three a.m. today (local time) drowned
in the historic Trevi Fountain. An autopsy is planned, which many
fear will confirm the initial assumption that the couple’s known
heroin addiction caused their deaths. Reportedly, used syringes were
found on the fountain’s marble balustrade… They leave three adult
children: Peter, age 26, the new Earl Darlingside; daughter Alice,
23, a teacher; Sophia, 19, a model.

…one week later…

CONTENTS OF ‘MARVEY’ WILL REVEALED

[LONDON] …Though the Fortune family
solicitor, Rabbie White of White, Cheshire and Queen (Lincolns Inn
Fields) remains closemouthed, an unidentified source close to the
family states that the Fortune fortune, encompassing a manor house in
Kent, a mansion in Hampstead, and invested monies totaling some 50
million pounds, will be divided between ‘Marvey’s’ children.
However, the ‘Marvey’ trust requires the heirs make a substantial
non-monetary contribution to society. Whether each child’s acts are
sufficient to inherit is a decision left solely to White’s
discretion. Apparently Lord and Lady Darlingside wanted to ensure
that their progeny did not follow the same dangerous path they trod…

...eighteen months
later...

Chapter
One

One cool, bright summer morning, Peter
Fortune, Earl Darlingside, awakened in a big, four-poster bed covered
with a fluffy white duvet with a woman beside him. She was dead.

Until that moment, he’d been doing
quite well, thank you very much, considering that he’d spent the
night before drinking Remy Martin Black Pearl with a number of
equally dissolute young noblemen and getting drunk as, well, drunk as
lords. He should have had a throbbing head, unclear eyesight and a
belly that pitched like bloody hell, but he felt great. And, given
that he’d won rather than lost betting on billiards was another
point in favor of the day.

Which was, he remembered blearily,
Monday, perhaps? Or maybe Tuesday. Did it matter?

The window was open to the Hampstead
sunshine and also admitted birdsong. Every once in a while he heard
the sound of a distant siren, reminding him of...of…?

Oh yes, the dead girl.

Melanie.

He supposed he ought to call 9-9-9 and
get an ambulance, though judging by her total lack of movement and
warmth, the authorities would get to her too late. Far too late.

He rolled to the side, reaching for the
bedside table where his mobile reposed. Something jabbed his arse,
and he threw back the sheet to find a used syringe. A needlestick
from an addict’s rig. Oh, shite, I’m fucked. He grabbed the
thing and flung it across the room, then called for help.

*****

She’d been called Foxy Roxy for as
long as she could remember, but she hadn’t embraced the nickname
until her fifteenth birthday. That day she’d visited a charity shop
with friends. One had spotted an old fox stole on a mannequin and
bought it for Roxanne Fox as a gift. She’d worn that fox pelt
around her neck on cool days until it had fallen apart, then bought
another and then another. Only from the charity shops, though—she
wouldn’t be directly responsible for the death of an innocent
animal. Later she’d found a source for high-quality fakes, which
fit her vegan habits far better.

This morning, she was nibbling a
gluten-free currant scone slathered with soya cream cheese whilst
enjoying her second flat white of the day (made with soya of course),
reading a fairly interesting case file about a fellow who had been
recorded by the many CCTVs roundabout London. Unfortunately for the
client, he’d been taped with his zip open whilst fondling an
impressive erection. Even less fortunately, the Crown was not
amenable to letting the incident go by even though he claimed he’d
been “pissed legless.”

Roxanne’s secretary stuck her head
into the open doorway, her eyes round. “That prat Darlingside has
gotten himself arrested again.”

“Oh, happy day.” Roxy wiped her
mouth with a hanky. “What is it this time? Dead drunk? Car crash?”

“No, it’s more serious. Unless
someone’s having a go at us.”

“Not chundering onto some poor
copper’s shoes?” That had been a memorable case.

“No, murder.”

Roxy sat up straighter. She’d been
White, Cheshire and Queen’s criminal defense specialist for four
years, having left the Crown Prosecution Service to pursue more
lucrative options. At WCQ, she’d had the opportunity to sample a
more varied menu of cases than she’d expected. Along with the
anticipated tax avoidance schemes and family squabbles regarding
bequests—which occasionally devolved into wine-throwing and
fistfights—a prominent client occasionally committed the odd sexual
peccadillo, like the fellow diddling his dong in Notting Hill.

And then there was Peter Fortune, the
Earl of Darlingside, who seemed intent upon imitating his parents’
strikingly self-destructive ways.

Bless him—he’d brought her a case
she could really sink her teeth into. “Where’s he being held?”

Like what you read? GET IT HERE and get it soon--99 cents until February 8!

South
Florida just got a helluva lot steamier… During the day, the staff at Wicked
Brand makes ink dreams a reality for their appreciative clients. After hours,
this naughty crew engages in sensual delights as wild as the designs they’re
selling. Their motto? Nothing forbidden. Nothing held back.

Wicked Times Two Blurb:

She’s through with love and just wants
to have some wicked fun...

Burned by her cheating boyfriend,
Jasmina is finished with the idea of forever after with any guy. That fairy
tale doesn’t exist—at least not for her. From now on, protecting her heart and
letting pleasure rule is her motto.

Lucky for her, she has the perfect men
in mind. Noah and Kyle, two of the hottest cops in West Palm Beach. She hasn’t
been able to get them out of her head since they handled an altercation at
Wicked Brand, the tattoo parlor she manages. When they come back to get inked,
sparks fly.

Noah’s ready to play, and Kyle’s on
board. All they want is her—submission, bondage, spanking…no strings or regrets.
Seductive days roll into steamy nights, igniting feelings the guys hadn’t
expected and Jasmina can’t deny.

What
began as a sensual adventure could turn into so much more…if Jasmina can risk a
different kind of love.

Excerpt:

Kyle
and Noah strode inside, wearing their cop authority like a second skin.

Jasmina
fought dizziness, drawn to them effortlessly and recklessly.

Tor
hurried past the guys and reached her first.

She
ignored him.

Kyle’s
fragrance wafted close, an intoxicating cedar and suede mixture. She struggled
against taking another sniff, not wanting him to think she was weird, but it
wasn’t easy to restrain her desire. The disillusionment in his eyes had faded,
replaced by male interest…almost as if he couldn’t help himself.

Nice.

He
smiled at her, the gesture easygoing yet confident.

She
liked that.

Noah
brought up the rear, his scent tobacco, with a hint of coffee and musk. One
thousand percent male, like his assured bearing and attentive gaze.

Ambrosia
to a woman who hadn’t had fun in months.

Her
cheeks stung. So much for playing things cool. “Hey. What’s up?”

Kyle
rubbed his mouth, but it didn’t entirely hide his smile.

Color
darkened Noah’s face.

Jasmina
had to keep from leaning over the counter to check out the prizes between their
legs and asking if they were still seeing the women they’d brought to the
wedding. Or maybe they had someone new? She hoped not. “Is everything going
okay with the trial? Ethan didn’t bust out of jail, did he?”

Kyle
laughed. “Nope.”

Noah
chimed in. “He wouldn’t dare.”

Their
voices rumbled; her lust spiked to overdrive. Calm down before you make a fool of yourself.

It
wasn’t like her to become unglued around guys. She’d always been herself
whether they enjoyed her personality or not. Of course, Noah and Kyle were the
first men she’d been interested in post-Brad.

Maybe
that’s why Tor stood to the side like a chaperone.

She
knew she’d been in bad shape after being cheated on, but she didn’t like or
need his intrusion and turned to him. “Can I do something for you?”

“I’m
good.”

“Awesome.”
She slapped on a smile and gestured to the waiting area. “Your client will be
glad to hear that. He’s ready to get inked.” She lowered her voice. “He’s the
elderly man wearing the bright orange shorts. Nice guy.”

She
gave Tor the work order that detailed the tat the man wanted: a 3-D design on
his left pec that depicted an opened zipper. From inside his heart, his late
wife smiled at him.

The
sweetest gesture Jasmina had ever seen. If only all guys were loyal to the ones
they were supposed to love.

Wasn’t
going to happen, especially to her.

With
the forever-after fantasy in her rearview mirror, she was ready to cut loose
and enjoy herself. Not once but twice. Wicked times two. She faced Noah and
Kyle, attracted to both and eager to know what it would be like to be with them
at the same time. A threesome was the safest way she knew to have fun and
indulge in her carnal fantasies while also protecting her heart.

However,
whether they would go for the idea or think she was crazy was a huge if.

They
shot loaded gazes at Tor.

He
fired one right back but collected his client.

“Hey,
I’m Tor Avana.” He stuck out his hand. “Ward, is it? Nice to meet you.”

Jasmina’s
throat tightened with emotion. “It’s okay. Tor can ink you in his workstation
in the back. Totally private.”

Tor
gave her a look. She gave him one right back, annoyed at his behavior today.

He
ushered Ward down the hall but kept glancing over at her, Kyle, and Noah.

Jasmina
recalled when she’d first started to date. A big thing, given she was the
youngest in her family, not to mention the only girl with six brothers. Her mom
and dad had been pretty cool about the whole thing, trusting their daughter to
make the right choices and not to be a pushover for anyone. Her brothers were a
different story.

Tor
had shot the same look to Noah and Kyle that her brothers had given the guys
she’d dated, which said, “Back off.” Until Brad had messed with her heart and
dignity, Tor had never questioned her good sense. She knew she’d been hell to
live with around here, acting like a damn zombie. But that was in the past. She
was ready to move on, and he should trust her to know her own mind. The last
thing she needed was a damn bodyguard. She regarded Kyle and Noah. “Something
bothering Tor?”

Kyle
lifted his eyebrows slightly. A mellow response that told her nothing.

Noah
showed no reaction, his mood reserved, thoughts masked, taking her in as though
it was his right. Just as a cop would do. Pure authority.

For him to play Dom to her sub would be the
absolute best. After he worked his wicked ways on her, Kyle would be there for
comfort and tenderness. They could even switch things up, taking turns playing
good cop and bad. To have their passion released at the same time…

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

I started writing in late 1996 and wanted to write a classic romance, "Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Gets Girl Back" sort of thing. I wanted it to be a contemporary, even though I really loved Regency--I just didn't think I could write a historical yet, because I was a total newbie. Unfortunately, I didn't know much about romance other than that formula, so when I sat down and thought about what kind of hero I though would be appealing, I came up with...a football quarterback. Not only a quarterback, but an injured one.

That's common fare now, but back in the 90s, no one but Susan Elizabeth Phillips could make a sports hero work. I found the book unsaleable for nearly a decade, before Five Star published it in a lovely first edition.

The hardcover edition of Walk Like A Man is still available on Amazon--print never quite goes away. It may still be sitting on the shelves of your local library.

It got pretty good reviews:

...a very enjoyable contemporary romance between a major sports figure and the therapist whose skill is all that stands between him and life in a wheelchair.

"... such a delight to read...tantalizing sexual tension, witty banter... not only a beautiful love story, great characterization and a good plot, but ...emotions that will reach in and squeeze the breath out of the reader... a fiery read. A must buy, a must read, this story is not to be missed!!"

About Me

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello has written nineteen books in several genres, including nonfiction, memoir, romance, erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of short stories and articles on writing. She has also contributed to several bestselling boxed sets. Learn more about her books at her site, suzdemello.com.